Poetry from Abigail George

For the boy child sitting in the front row at the book fair

The flower is lonely

look how it weeps

look how the stone edge

precipice of the tips

of the tears form an iceberg

It’s tired of the night

its polarities

its dimensions

its ghosts

The flower finds the day empty

and filled with longing

solitude 

the interloper, regret

the people are as depressing 

as rain and winter light

The time to have children is over

I eat bread and cheese

for one

The light dims

Another night is over

And I am left to think

of our separation

the much younger

(than I am now)

woman in your life

I think of how fragile 

the word “ceasefire” is

“novelist”

and I come up for air

reach for memory

and all of its tenderness

What remains is this

a sickly father

the traits of manic depression

hope

Yes, hope

all of its blessed assurance

I find faith in a clock

The spaghetti of time

The years

turn into mist

while I listen 

to a poem by Akhmatova

I am not the only woman

who has felt alone

who has been rejected by a man

and became a poet

instead of a mother.

Your loveliness doesn’t hurt me anymore

Give me Marina Tsetaeva

Give me Karin Boyes

Give me Petya Dubarova

I sent you a poem

You did not respond

I told you I would always 

carry your heart with me

But it meant absolutely 

nothing to you

Europe has carried you away

but all it has given me

is quiet despair

The kind of desperation

of no longer having you in my life

You never read any of my books

You turn to Jhumpa Lahiri instead

Mohsin Hamid

while I have Fatima Sydow 

for courage

a fridge tart on the table

that doesn’t quite make up

for your absence

Dear Sister, I’m sorry

I’m sorry for what I said

or did not say

or what I did

in childhood

in youth

Just know this

I will always 

carry your heart

with me

and the scars

you have given me

for an eternity.

Essay from Tursunkhujayeva Malika

Young Central Asian woman in a black dress speaking into a microphone on a stage with flowers.

Using artificial intelligence capabilities to improve the quality of professional training of students

Student of the Andijan State Institute of Foreign Languages

 Tursunkhujayeva Malika

abdusamadovnamalika@gmail.com

  +998932412315

Аннотация. В данной статье анализируется возможность эффективного использования технологий искусственного интеллекта (СИ) в процессе профессиональной подготовки студентов. Рассматривается роль обучающих платформ на основе искусственного интеллекта, виртуальных тренажеров и кастомизированных систем образования в повышении качества образования. В нем также подчеркивается роль технологии СИ в развитии профессиональных навыков студентов, создании индивидуализированных программ обучения и автоматизации процесса обучения. Результаты исследования свидетельствуют о том, что широкое внедрение искусственного интеллекта в сферу образования является важным фактором подготовки студентов как конкурентоспособных кадров.

Ключевые слова: искусственный интеллект, профессиональное обучение, цифровое обучение, индивидуальное обучение, автоматизация.

Annotation. This article analyzes the possibility of effective use of artificial intelligence (SI) technologies in the process of professional preparation of students. The role of artificial intelligence-based learning platforms, virtual simulators, and customized education systems in improving the quality of education is examined. It also highlights the role of SI technology in the development of students’ professional skills, the creation of individualized training programs and the automation of the learning process. The results of the study indicate that the widespread introduction of artificial intelligence in the field of education is an important factor in preparing students as competitive personnel.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, vocational training, digital learning, individual learning, automation.

Today, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are rapidly entering the educational process. They allow individualizing the educational process, assessing students’ knowledge and improving their professional skills. The use of AI tools is especially important in vocational training, which helps to connect theoretical knowledge with practical training. The modern education system must adapt to rapid changes and prepare students as competitive specialists. As a result of the integration of AI into the educational process, it has become possible to automate the educational process, strengthen the individual approach, and bring practical training closer to real life. AI technologies are of great importance in the process of vocational training, as they allow creating conditions for students close to a real work environment, making the educational process interactive and personalized.

1. Artificial intelligence and the educational process. The concept of artificial intelligence has a broad meaning, it includes the capabilities of machines such as human thinking, logical analysis, and decision-making. Currently, AI is widely used in the field of education in the following areas: Personalized learning systems – creating an individual curriculum for each student. Intelligent tutors – using automated educational programs to consolidate student knowledge. Virtual laboratories – conducting practical training in engineering, medicine, and other disciplines. AI-based analysis and monitoring – assessing student knowledge and monitoring the dynamics of their growth. AI is widely used in the education system in the following areas: Customized educational programs – AI analyzes the student’s level of knowledge and recommends appropriate educational materials. Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies – allow creating experiences close to real life to develop professional skills. Intelligent tutors – AI-powered tutoring systems effectively increase student learning. Automation of the learning process – Test assignments, essay evaluations, and other learning processes are automated.

2. The role of artificial intelligence in professional training. Professional training should provide students with practical skills along with theoretical knowledge. Artificial intelligence offers the following advantages in this process: Simulation and training systems – Students in medicine, engineering and other fields can gain experience in a virtual environment. Personalization of the learning process – Each student is provided with educational material tailored to their needs. Interactive learning – Students consolidate their knowledge through chatbots, virtual teachers and other technologies.

3. Assessment and monitoring of results using artificial intelligence. Assessment systems based on AI allow for a more accurate and rapid assessment of student knowledge. For example: Test systems automatically analyze the student’s level of knowledge. There are systems for assessing essays and written work using AI. It is possible to monitor the dynamics of student learning during the learning process.

4. Problems and solutions in the introduction of artificial intelligence into education. There are some problems in the introduction of AI technologies into education: Technical and infrastructure problems – Many educational institutions do not have sufficient resources to introduce AI technologies. Pedagogical adaptation – Teachers must adapt to working with new technologies. Digital literacy of students and teachers – Students and teachers must have digital skills to use AI technologies. The following measures are proposed to solve the above problems: Development of digital infrastructure in educational institutions. Training teachers in the use of AI technologies. Creation of interactive courses based on AI for students.

Prospects for the use of artificial intelligence in Uzbekistan. The Resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures to develop artificial intelligence technologies” dated October 6, 2020 noted the need for the widespread introduction of AI technologies into the educational process. In this regard: New specialties in the field of artificial intelligence are being opened at universities. Electronic platforms based on artificial intelligence are being introduced into the education system. New projects are being implemented in collaboration with international organizations. For example, the Tashkent University of Information Technologies (TUIT) and the Muhammad al-Khwarizmi Specialized School have launched training in AI technologies. Distance and mastery-oriented education. Today, many universities and vocational centers are switching to distance learning. The creation of automated distance learning platforms using artificial intelligence will create convenience for students. These systems allow for the delivery of learning materials, automatic checking and grading of homework, and the development of interactive curricula.

In conclusion, the use of artificial intelligence technologies is of great importance in improving the quality of students’ professional training. It helps to effectively organize the educational process by creating personalized learning, virtual laboratories, automated analysis systems, and interactive learning environments.

A number of reforms are being implemented in the education system of Uzbekistan to introduce the capabilities of artificial intelligence. In particular, new specialties are being opened at universities, distance learning platforms are being developed, and international cooperation is being established. This will serve to train qualified, modern technology-savvy, and competitive personnel in the future.

Therefore, it is necessary to continue consistent measures to further introduce artificial intelligence into the educational process, enrich curricula with innovative approaches, and prepare students for modern professions. This will have a positive impact on the sustainable development of the economy and science of our country

                                         Used literature

1 .Russell, S., & Norvig, P. (2021). Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. Pearson.

2. Luckin, R. (2018). Machine Learning and Human Intelligence: The Future of Education for the 21st Century. UCL Press.

3. Kaplan, A., & Haenlein, M. (2019). Rethinking AI: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the World. Business Horizons.

4. UNESCO (2022). Artificial Intelligence and Education: Guidance for Policy-Makers.

5. Woolf, B. P. (2020). Building Intelligent Interactive Tutors: Student-Centered Strategies for Revolutionizing E-Learning. Morgan Kaufmann.

6. Anderson, J. R. (2020). Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications. Worth Publishers.

7. Decision of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, October 6, 2020.

8. S. K. Kenjayev, “Information Technologies and the Educational System”, Tashkent, 2021.

9. M. A. Usmanov, “Digital Education and Artificial Intelligence”, Tashkent, 2022. Luckin, R. (2018).

10. AI for Learning: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education. Routledge.

11. Woolf, B. P. (2020). Building Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Morgan Kaufmann.

12. OECD (2021). AI in Education: Challenges and Opportunities. Paris: OECD Publishing.

Editor Cristina Deptula’s Interview with poet Uchechukwu Onyedikam

Black man, bald, with a white collared shirt and a purple tie.
Uchechukwu Onyedikam

I see that you write poetry in recognizable and named forms: haikus, rengas, and others. Why do you choose those forms? Does it depend on the poem? 

There’s something self-fulfilling about Japanese poetry form to me; I easily identify with it, it makes me one with nature, hence I exist with utter independence with the fowls of the air, the flowers and trees, and the changing seasons of mankind. When I write I catch the spirit, thus I flow where the poems want me to go, I don’t choose.

Why do you choose to write in form at all? Some artists have broken away from traditional form, but why do you think form still has value for what you’re hoping to communicate? 

I started off with free verse, and that form helps me flow with the natural rhythm, giving me the liberty to express myself, allowing sense of flexibility, creating a conversational and fluid feel. However, the japanese form have improved how I write free verse, if you’ve seen some of my current work, it is infused with tan-renga.

You write collaborative poetry with other artists. How did you meet Christina Chin and others with whom you write, and what does the collaborative process look like? Do you simply trade off and finish each other’s poems, or do you brainstorm a topic and direction first? 

Collaborations help me see the world clearly for what it is: “the way you do a thing, is how you will do everything.” The process of collaborations introduces you to a new perspective, and a new way of thinking and approaching things. I love it! My teammate Christina Chin and I met at Lothlorien Poetry Journal where we were both published as per that time. We both write as it comes: I throw her a couple of verses, she finishes it up; she does the same as well. So, that is how we flow — no guidelines — no rules — nothing leads but the spirit of poetry!

What is the literary scene like in Nigeria? What sorts of poems do people enjoy there, and what has it been like to get published there? 

I stand to be corrected — traditional form as Haiku, Renga don’t get published here; only free verse form. And as a result, you can see that being a Haiku poet here is highly challenging — and a disservice to one’s career. The literary scene in my homeland is a growing industry that’s in a dire need of government present and support to thrive well in this fast-pacing times — a country that is littered with amazing talents, thus if given the necessary programs and opportunities, these words bursting out of one’s veins will gain wings and flyaway.

What roles do you think poets, and poetry, play in modern global society? Do you have something you hope to accomplish by serving as a poet? 

I will begin with Shelley’s idea in ‘The Defense Of Poetry’ 1821, “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” The words and voices of poets have echoed through different times and ages, breaking hurdles and transcending barriers. Poetry can be a powerful teaching tool, that is necessary in enlightening the human body, mind, and spirit. Serving as a poet is a calling that I am magnifying greatly; I want to serve this war-torn world with words that carries beauty and truth. If this is achieved, I am fulfilled, and it will be my crown of laurels.

Who are some other poets or writers you admire, and why? 

For the Japanese traditional form I think I admire Matsuo Bashō; I also admire the poet Christopher Ifekandu Okigbo because he died fighting for what he believed in, the independence of Biafra.

What are your next steps, where do you plan to go in the future with your writing? 

I want to see the world for what it is. I want poetry to take me to strange places; I want to see different people, learn different languages and dialects and cultures — I want a baptism of full immersion in the only global faith: Poetry.

Uchechukwu Onyedikam is a Nigerian Photographer and, a well-published Poet based in Lagos, Nigeria. His poems have appeared in Amsterdam Quarterly, Brittle Paper, Poetic Africa, Hood Communists, The Hooghly Review, and in different themes of anthology both print and online. He and Christina Chin has co-written and published two poetry chapbooks — Pouring Light On The Hills (December 2022) and Clouds of Pink (March 2024).

Stories from Peter Cherches

The Checkout Kid

            He saw the kid who worked the checkout at the convenience store walking down the street, arm in arm, with a girl about his own age, maybe 17. He was a handsome kid. Compared to him, the girl was rather plain, he thought, wondering if people thought the same of him when he was dating his wife, or even now. She was a knockout, his wife. He never asked her if she had dated during their brief separation. He didn’t want to know what they looked like if she had. He wondered if they were sleeping together, the kid and the girl. If we were all contemporaries, he thought, and double dating, people would probably assume his wife, his future wife, was the one dating the checkout kid. He was probably being hard on himself. He was probably a cut above plain.

First Haircut

            “The usual,” he told the barber, John.

            “Remind me.”

            “Number two blade.”

            He’d remembered to wear a shirt with a collar. A collar provides a better vehicle than a crew neck for the paper thing they wrap around your neck to keep the hair from falling down your back.

            An older man walked into the barbershop. He greeted all the barbers, “Angelo, Vinny, John,” with a nod of the head for each name.

            “Have a seat, Tommy,” Vinny, who was available, said, “I’ll be with you in a minute.”

            John asked him who he liked in the World Series. Since neither team was local, it wasn’t a big surprise that he and John had different ideas. Tommy chimed in, agreeing with John.

            “Put on Sinatra,” Angelo, who was cutting a kid’s hair, yelled over to Vinny, who was at the CD player.

            “Eyebrows?” John asked.

            “Yeah.” He called them his Brezhnev eyebrows. The barbers were all old enough to get it.

            Angelo started singing along with Sinatra, “Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away,” then said to the kid, “Betcha you never heard that one.” The kid said, “No,” and Angelo laughed.

            “Ready to greet the world in style!” John said when the cut was done.

            Out of the blue he was struck by a dim memory of his first haircut, his first barbershop haircut. Maybe it was the Sinatra. He remembered sitting in a kid’s barber chair in the form of an elevated red sports car. Or was it a fire truck? He remembered crying.

            “What?” he asked John, holding back the tears.

College Days Full of Hope

            Reading the obituaries, he discovered one of his favorite college professors had been a Nazi sympathizer. He made coffee, in a French press. As he sipped his coffee, Sumatra Mandheling, which he admired for its boldness, he also read about a man in Cambodia who had won a tarantula-eating contest, the first of its kind. The article conjectured it would become an annual event.

            At work that day, he was asked to fill out a self-assessment, an oddly Maoist incursion into American corporate life. He wrote an unqualifiedly rave review of himself, refusing to give his bosses ammunition to use against him. After he had submitted the self-assessment, his thoughts turned to the dead professor. What was that course again? Oh yes, the theatre of cruelty seminar. Looking back, he couldn’t remember anything that hinted at Nazi sympathies.

            Wistful for those college days full of hope, he stood up and surveyed a sea of cubicles in which he was but a speck.

Essay from Federico Wardal

Black and white film still of a man with dark hair and a black suit holding up his hands towards a young woman with long blonde hair.

Graziano MARRAFFA celebrates the centennial of the film icon Marcello Mastroianni 

I was working with Federico Fellini in Cinecittà (Rome) and during a break I went to the bar of the legendary city of cinema and there was Marcello Mastroianni who was talking to some film producers. 

I introduced myself.

 I was a friend of his wife the actress Flora Carabella and his close friend Federico Fellini. 

Movie poster in a theater of Marcello Mastroianni playing Henry IV

We talked about Hollywood and Rudolph Valentino, a relative of a dear friend of my mother. 

Mastroianni was often compared to Valentino, having an extremely attractive Mediterranean beauty. 

Tall, perfect physique, very regular face, calm, kind, natural, strong. 

He dressed in a classic way, but often with a touch of “casual”. 

Black and white shot of Marcello Mastroianni seated on a leopard print chair.

A huge success of Mastroianni was the musical “Bye Rudy”, about Rudolph Valentino. 

Mastroianni is one of the most popular iconic movie stars in the world. 

His way of acting is never “passionate” or overwhelming, but filters impulses and emotions through a mask that appears perfectly natural, but since it is a mask, it gives the impression of being able to change from one minute to the next and therefore produces mystery.

Another movie poster with Mastroianni holding a wine glass in front of two women, a bride in a white dress and veil and another woman in a black dress and hat.

 An iconic image of Mastroianni is the one with Anita Ekberg in the enormous Trevi Fountain in Rome in the legendary film by Federico Fellini: “La Dolce Vita”. 

Mastroianni garnering many international honors including two BAFTA Awards, two Best Actor awards at the Venice and Cannes film festivals, two Golden Globes, and three Academy Award nominations. 

Last September, one of the most eminent Italian film critics Graziano MARRAFFA, on the occasion of Mastroianni 100, curated an exhibition of rare film posters of the icon Mastroianni, illustrating his figure and giving precious information on the birth of these films in relation to Mastroianni. 

Many people gathered at a film festival in front of a projector and screen.

The writing of a film is linked to various types of factors, but the artistic relationship between the author, the director, the star or stars protagonists is fundamental. 

MARRAFFA is president of the Historical Archive of Italian Cinema which has a very important collection of vintage films and unpublished material made by world-famous directors and we hope that in the near future exhibitions of vintage films can be held in synergy with other important archives such as the Pacific Film Archive in California. 

“Marcello Mastroianni, one hundred years after his birth” is the title of the MARRAFFA event which opened, last September, in Marina of Ragusa, Sicily, the XXVIII Costaiblea Film Festival, artistic direction by Vito Zagarrio, with an introduction by Marraffa and Vincenzo Cascone, in the presence of the Mayor of Ragusa Giuseppe Cassì, while, in a continuous cycle, the film “Marcello Mastroianni” by Angelo Piccione was screened, made up of scenes from the main movies starring Mastroianni.

Greek poet Eva Petropoulou Lianou interviews Chinese poet Ma Yongbo

Ma Yongbo was born in 1964, Ph.D, representative of Chinese avant-garde poetry,and a leading scholar in Anglo-American poetry. He has published over eighty original works and translations since 1986 included 6 poetry collections. He focused on translating and teaching Anglo-American poetry and prose including the work of Dickinson, Whitman, Stevens, Pound, Williams and Ashbery. He recently published a complete translation of Moby Dick, which has sold over half a million copies. He teaches at Nanjing University of Science and Technology. The Collected Poems of Ma Yongbo (four volumes, Eastern Publishing Centre, 2024) comprising 1178 poems, celebrate 40 years of writing poetry.

Please share your thoughts about the future of literature.

As long as the human spirit remains alive, literature (poetry) will endure, serving as the most faithful companion to the soul. The power of poetry to console and uplift the human spirit will always remain indispensable.

When did you start writing?

I began writing poetry, plays, and novels in 1979 during my first year of high school. My works were officially published starting in 1986. Writing poetry is a form of spiritual practice for me; my goal is not to secure a place in literary history.

The Good and the Bad.

Nature is good; humans are bad.

Who is winning nowadays?

Petty people dominate in every field. Yet evil only prevails temporarily, for Christ has already overcome the world.

How many books have you written?

I have published six poetry collections (including The Complete Collection of Poetry, which comprises four volumes), two essay collections, three academic monographs, two biographies, and two prose-poetry collections.

And where can we find your books?

Most of my 80 original and translated works have been published in mainland China, with a few released in traditional Chinese editions in Taiwan. They are available on Dangdang, JD.com, and in physical bookstores. Public libraries worldwide also hold copies. My bilingual poetry collections with Indian poet Anand, my another bilingual poetry collections with Greek poet Eva and Mexican poet Jeanette are sold on Amazon. A select few works, such as my three-volume bilingual translation of John Ashbery’s selected poems, can also be found there.

The book: E-book or Hardcover book? What will be the future?

Physical books will become increasingly expensive, eventually turning into collectibles for a small minority. E-books aid dissemination and conserve energy.

A wish for 2025.

May my friends find peace and joy, and may they write poetry abundantly. I also hope to leverage my translation skills to introduce more outstanding poets from other languages into Chinese, building a rainbow bridge to overcome cultural barriers.

A phrase from your book.

“Refining light from one’s own darkness.”